Ayah 48:
ويقولون متى هذا الوعد إن كنتم صادقين
And they say, "When is this promise, if you should be truthful?"
For these people who are told to lead a life of taqwa, but reacted with 'iraaD and spoke in inappropriate manners where they went to the depths of stupidity, Allaah does not discuss the faculty nature of their logic. He lets it speak for itself, its stupidity, disobedience, and disrespect speaks for itself.
When they've reached this arrogance where they are reminded continuously in different ways, but react with ignorance, eventually a warning is issued to them. They need to realize the err of their ways otherwise the punishment of Allaah could befall them, as a consequence of their actions.
Their arrogance and kufr does not allow them to heed the warning. They respond with even more arrogance, with even more mockery. In this verse, Allaah is saying that these people would continue to say (present and future verb), "When will this promise come?" This warning that they are being given is being mocked.
They are questioning this morality and truthfulness of these people. Recall that morality arises from imaan. Look at their conceit.
Ayah 49:
ما ينظرون إلا صيحة واحدة تأخذهم وهم يخصمون
They do not await except one blast which will seize them while they are disputing.
Then Allaah says a very stern warning. SiHah is that large, piercing sound. A single blast could take them in their refusing and rejecting states.
In the previous passage, a similar conclusion was seen (36, 29)
إن كانت إلا صيحة واحدة فإذا هم خامدون
It was not but one shout, and immediately they were extinguished.
They had conceitedly disregarded the messengers and murdered the believer who advised them. As a result, Allaah punished them with this single, piercing sound. He did not make a huge, elaborate arrangement for their destruction.
This same note is used here. They may continue to reject the clear, evident signs of Allaah, but they are waiting for nothing but that one sound to extinguish them.
Their mockery will continue and at once they will be taken.
YanZuruna| Word Analysis
In this construction, Allaah does not say:
ما ينتظرون
Instead, He says:
ما ينظرون
These both come from the same root and intiZar means to wait for something.
YanZuruna comes for naZr which means to look. It can also be used to wait for something, but it is more so waiting for something as watching it approach. This is like waiting for a train which you see coming. So these people will be standing there, it will be there before their faces. It will be a result of their own actions.
Ayah 50:
فلا يستطيعون توصية ولا إلى أهلهم يرجعون
And they will not be able [to give] any instruction, nor to their people can they return.
They will not have the ability to tawSiyatan.
